Lent

Lent '09 - I gave up Facebook.

Lent '10 - I gave up caffeine.

This year I'm giving up meat. I'll be a temporary vegetarian - for 40 days (plus Sundays). What will I be eating then? Hmmm... I'll probably start exploring and trying out recipes from 101 Cookbooks, the beautifully written and illustrated foodie blog.

My weekly grocery shopping list would look something like this:

Dorset Cereals raisin-free muesli (I eat this everyday for breakfast. It has replaced bran flakes as my favourite breakfast food)

Berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries... whichever one's on offer. I add berries to the muesli and together it's my favourite meal of the day)

Chicken thigh fillets

Salmon

Prawns

Tofu

Lettuce

Baby avocado

Tomatoes

Nuts (almonds, pistachios, soya nuts - all unsalted)

Semi-skimmed milk

Flat-leaf parsley

Coriander

Basil

Chinese leaf

Aubergine

Cheese (parmigiano-reggiano, blue stilton, gruyere, goat cheese etc. whichever one I feel like that week)

Pak choi (I'm still very Chinese at heart)

Quorn savoury eggs (sounds disgusting and they don't look that appealing either, but I just really like eating them)

Mushrooms (portobello, shiitake, chestnut etc.)

eggs

I've given up red meat as a new year resolution anyway, so hopefully it shouldn't be too much of a transition from no red meat to no meat. I just have to give up chicken, fish and other seafood for ~40 days. Will need to make sure I get enough protein from eggs, milk, cheese, tofu and beans though.